A. Little Devotional

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

My daughter hates storms. The heavy rain, the thunder, the lightning – they’re all just too much for her to handle. She gets afraid when this is happening, especially at night when we’re asleep. She will even leave her room and come to our bedroom to sleep with us. She’s getting bigger, so this isn’t always the most comfortable situation. But I cherish these moments. I know that she comes to me because she trusts that, as her father, I will protect her. And I absolutely will, because of my unconditional love for her.

As Christians, we have a tendency to hate storms too. Not the meteorological variety so much as the storms of life. Trials like  sickness, marriage woes, financial strains, depression, death, etc. can all become too much to handle. I’ve spent many sleepless nights toiling over storms. But I am so thankful that we have a Father in whom we can put our trust. We have a Father that will let us rest in Him. And if we “curl up next to Him,” he says that He’ll not only keep (protect) us, but He’ll give us PERFECT peace. This perfect peace is the kind that guards your heart and mind even in the midst of the noisy storms.

So put your mind on Him. And trust Him. He’s a keeper.

I Samuel 16:7b

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This scripture reminds me of the famous Trojan horse that the Greeks used in the Trojan War. If you recall, the Greeks presented the horse as a “gift” to the Trojans. Unbeknownst to the Trojans, however, there were Greeks hidden inside the horse who snuck out and opened the Trojan gate that night to allow their Greek forces to come in and overtake the city. I’m sure the Trojans were surprised that something so innocent could turn out to be so deadly. If they had known what was inside they would have surely rejected the gift.

As Christians, we have to ensure that both our inside and our outside reflect God’s standard for our lives. God is not pleased when we project a false air of “savedness” in public but our inside is corrupted. Additionally, those who hold you in such high regard are ambushed by the truth once it comes out. I say “we” because I know that I have been guilty of this in the past. And I also know that God was not happy when I lived like that. If this applies to you, it’s not too late to start anew. The Word says His compassions are new every morning. So talk to the Father. Ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to rid you of anything that’s not like Him. Then start filling yourself with His Word so that what He sees matches what others see.

“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 2:18

I sometimes look back and laugh at my years spent in teenage angst. At times I thought my problems were the worst in the world and nobody, especially not my parents, could possibly understand. But they always seemed to know what I was dealing with and gave good advice on what to do. As kids we tended to forget that our parents had already walked the road we were on and had more wisdom on how to navigate it. It’s much like what Jesus does for us. He knows the things we go through, even temptation, because He’s been there. He’s walked that road. And as this scripture says, He suffered too. He lived and died to save us. And He suffered to help us. So when you’re feeling all alone, or when you’re facing a seemingly unbearable temptation, know that He not only understands, but He’ll also listen to and answer your cries for help.

As the hymn says, “Ask the Savior to help you, to comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to aid you. He will carry you through.” (Yield Not to Temptation, Horatio R. Palmer)

Welcome to my new blog. I pray that something you read here will minister to you and keep you encouraged.